


The Bequest

by ANGSWIN



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24040924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANGSWIN/pseuds/ANGSWIN
Summary: After his death, Hermione Granger is surprised to receive a letter...and so much more...from her former Professor.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Severus Snape
Comments: 16
Kudos: 94
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020, Tropes & Fandoms 2020





	The Bequest

**Author's Note:**

> **2020 Tropes and Fandoms challenge:**  
>  Roll Date: 4/29/20  
> Square: 76/Regular  
> Trope: Letter Fic

Back in her room, Hermione stared in confusion at the letter in her hand. She had been in a state of disbelief ever since Headmistress McGonagall had summoned her to the Head’s office in order to meet with the solicitor who had requested her presence there. The man had then proceeded to apologize that it had taken almost a year to do so, but that the Ministry had finally released the estate of Severus Snape after his posthumous acquittal of the murder of Albus Dumbledore. His absolution had come…albeit too late to benefit him…after the testimony of both the former Headmaster’s portrait - as well as the savior of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter. 

None of that information was particularly surprising to Hermione since she had already heard about it from Harry himself. Even though she had decided to return to Hogwarts to finish her last year instead of going into Auror training with him and Ron as they had wanted, Harry remained supportive and stayed in touch. He wrote to her often and even visited her.

Ron, on the other hand, had taken her decision as a personal betrayal…as he so often did when he did not agree with someone’s personal choices…and their burgeoning relationship had ended before it really had a chance to begin. Even though his lack of understanding had upset her at the time, Hermione knew that in the long run, it was probably for the best. After all, he definitely would never have understood the new development in her life – especially since even she was struggling to come to terms with it, as well. 

Nevertheless, Ron was not really the one who was on Hermione’s mind as she stared at the parchment in her hand. In fact, a far different man had been in her thoughts ever since she had been handed the letter and a set of keys to go with it after the shock of being informed by the solicitor that she, Hermione Jean Granger, was the sole beneficiary of Severus Snape’s will. In fact, the letter had been written by the man himself and the date at the top proved that it had happened just a short while before the final battle…but right after their escape from Malfoy Manor and all that had happened to her there. Still reeling in disbelief at the news, Hermione noted the familiar spiky script and had quickly read the explanation the first time in a sort of morbid fascination.

After the solicitor had taken his leave, however, she had read through the missive more thoroughly...and shared it with the Headmistress, as well. Afterwards, they discussed the letter, and the man who wrote it, at some length. That conversation had even led to the normally staid Scotswoman wiping a tear from her eye.

“Severus Snape may not have been a _nice_ man, but he was a _good_ one,” she proclaimed sadly. “I had known that for years…ever since he was a student himself…and yet I still doubted him. In retrospect, of course, I can see all of the little ways that he tried to protect the students from the Carrows...and how he is still trying to protect one of them…even now.” She looked pointedly at the letter in Hermione’s hand. “However, I was blinded by grief and shock after the death of Albus and I refused to see the truth. Poor Severus, how alone he must have felt at the end.” The older witch then shook her head and bade the young woman to go back to her room and get some rest – especially since the next day was bound to hold even more surprises for her.

Even though Hermione took her advice to heart and went back to the private room that the castle had provided for her as one of the few “Eighth Year” students to return, rest proved to be impossible. The contents of the letter weighed too heavily on her mind for that to happen. Consequently, she found that she could not resist reading it one more time.

She gently unfolded the page again as she carefully perused the contents to see if they did indeed say what she thought they had…or if the whole thing had just been a dream brought on by too much revision for her NEWTS and worry about her life after she left Hogwarts. Much to her relief, though, the words were all still there as she remembered them.

* * *

_Miss Granger,_

_I am sure that the news that you are the sole beneficiary of my estate (modest though it may be) must come as a surprise to you. Nevertheless, please do not mistake that my choice stems from any misguided or inappropriate affection towards an insufferable know-it-all such as yourself. My reasoning is as simple as the fact that as I compose this letter, I find myself without the security of friends or family at a time when I am also faced with the certain knowledge that I will not survive the war that encompasses us both. In fact, I am well aware that the absolute best case scenario for me is that I will not last for very long afterwards – not once my true role becomes public knowledge as it will have to be in one way or the other. Therefore, I have felt the urgent need to make certain provisions for the few things that brought me pleasure in this life after I depart from it._

_I made my choice to insure that my considerable book collection is kept intact and is appropriately cared for after my demise. After watching you spend most of your waking hours in the Hogwarts library during your residence there, and the considerable care that you always showed to the objects that resided within said place, I know that you are the right person to be entrusted with the guardianship of the vast collection that I spent my entire adult life building._

_You will find that my library is considered priceless and surpasses even the one at Grimmauld Place in size and scope. Some of the tomes are quite powerful, as well, and will require a strong witch to govern them. Therefore, due to the size of the collection and the temperament of some of its members, I have decided that you might as well have the entire bloody house in which to keep the books, as well._

 _I_ _have never been a wealthy man. However, Hogwarts has always provided for my needs and, therefore, I have been able to live well within my means. Consequently, there should be more than enough in my Gringotts vault to settle everything for the house and to prepare it for human habitation again._

_Nevertheless, after your year of living in a tent with those two dunderheads, I know that my little cottage will seem quite comfortable to you regardless of how much dust it may have acquired since I have last been in residence. I am confident that you will take care of it, as well – especially since I am aware of your parental situation and that, due to those impossible decisions that you should never have been forced to make, you no longer have a home of your own with them._

_Alas, such is the nature of war. However, what I had been powerless to prevent in life is hopefully eased by what I can offer in death. Therefore, be sure to look to my extensive shelves for further answers to the questions (both physical and more) that probably still torture you…as they did me until I was able to find the written solutions._

_I wish only to add that if you have not yet come to your senses and are still friends with them, I would appreciate it if you kept Misters Potter and Weasley from pawing through my personal belongings. That thought is quite disturbing and might be the key to me rising from my grave – just like the vampire that many of my students have long thought me to be. Thank goodness you, at least, were never prone to the belief of such nonsense, Miss Granger._

_Speaking of paws, however, I assure you that you have my permission to share any and all of this information with Minerva McGonagall – especially since I find myself completely incapable of penning a satisfactory explanation for her at the current time. That is, of course, assuming that she is not already with you at the time of your receipt of such news - as I indeed suspect that she will be. Really, how could it be otherwise when I can guess that you will be at Hogwarts attempting to salvage your interrupted education if at all possible? After all, our value of knowledge is the one thing that we have always had in common, Miss Granger – despite how I often treated you because of it._

_All in all, however, I believe that I am quite content to be able to pass everything I have on to someone whose considerable worth I have been unable to acknowledge until now. I am sure that you will understand if that is all I have to say about that particular matter, though._

_-Severus Snape_

* * *

Hermione continued to stare at her paper in her hand long after she had reread it. It was just such an odd mixture of Professor’s Snape signature snark and no-nonsence attitude…but it also displayed an underlying earnest apologetic tone, as well. That was not even considering the touches of humor and even the helpful advice…that he had hinted around, but not quite come right out and said…that she would be able to find the relief in his library from her cursed injuries from Malfoy Manor that not even Madame Pomfrey could heal – because he had needed them, as well. However, as confusing as the letter was, it vindicated the belief that she had always had in him.

Even though she had never _liked_ the man, she had always _respected_ him and his work. Even after his cruelty in class and his apparent role in the death of Albus Dumbledore, the young witch had somehow, against all odds, held on to the feeling that Professor Snape was not really as evil as he pretended to be. She had even suspected that he had surreptitiously aided them in the Horcrux hunt – especially once she had found out about the foiled theft attempt of the sword from his office before it had come into their possession. 

His reference to their _camping_ experience finally proved her suspicions to be true. Harry’s description of the mysterious doe patronus also suddenly made so much more sense to her now. Even though it was odd that such a delicate creature would be associated with the man, it must have belonged to Professor Snape! Hermione was also positive that the portrait of the former Slytherin Headmaster that she had carried in her bag during that time had something to do with the Professor’s knowledge, as well! 

However, despite all of that, she never would have guessed that her former professor also secretly esteemed her enough that he would give the homeless bookworm such a precious gift of a cottage and a valuable library to boot. She was overjoyed at the thoughtfulness of his gift, but also deeply saddened that she would never be able to thank him in person for it. Regardless of that fact, she vowed that she would do as he asked and to take care of it all to the best of her abilities. 

In fact, she was extremely eager to explore her new home and was grateful to have received permission from the Headmistress to leave the castle on the following day in order to do just that. She found that she just could not wait. She knew that, no matter what else might happen there, learning more about the extremely misunderstood Severus Snape was bound to be an educational experience!

**Author's Note:**

> Even though this is the end of the story...and it works well as a stand alone one-shot...I strongly suspect that I will be continuing this fic at a later time. After all, it seems to have so much "Fix-It" potential! 😉


End file.
